Nenmarros
Nenmarros was built by the Númenóreans In the Second Age as an extra fort to guard the Bay of Belfalas and the entrance to the Anduin, and as a measure to lay claim to Tolfalas. However, no one wanted to settle on Tolfalas and there were great logistical probems in supplying the garrison, so the fort was abandoned in the reign of Tar-Ardamin. Since then, the fort had decayed, although the strength of Númenorean building techiques had helped preserve the major parts of it. The fort stood on a cliff above a narrow inlet, with a sea wall projecting out into the Inlet to provide a safe harbour.There was a central keep surrounded by a courtyard and high wall, and opposite the castle was a wide beach.The sea wall had withstood storms for thousands of years and could protect any boat on the tandside of it; on the beach, however, strong waves could sweep the boat away or swamp it. *1. The Sea Wall, This was built of huge stone blocks and has several steel rings :and stone posts to tie up to. The steel rings were corroded and could not hold a :boat In a rough sea without breaking. *2. The stairs were cut right into the cliff and were safe unless it was a wet day, :when they were slippery and precautions had to be taken.Any intruder was inevitably :to find out that large and poisonous lizards lived in this part of the ruin. *3. Courtyard- The courtyard was surrounded by a 10' high wall, solidly built. :Against this wall were the remains of some collapsed buildings. The piles of rubble :and weathered timber were mostly overgrown with weeds and sea grasses, in :the northwest comer was a nest of winged termites. If disturbed, these termites :would fly up as a swarm and attack anyone in the Immediate area. *4. These were ruined barracks, again overgrown with pinks and weeds. There was :nothing special to be found in the rubble here. *5. In the northeast corner of the courtyard was a tower built integral with the :wall. The roof and all the floors had collapsed, leaving a chimney-like ruin, some :15'wide inside, 30 to 40'tall. The interior walls were unsafe and there was quite a :pile of rubble at the bottom,Various small birds nested on ledges within the tower, :some being very rare with valuable eggs. If any were disturbed, Elwing was very :displeased, *6. Gateway. The gate was also in poor repair and just as likely to collapse as the :tower (see 5) if climbed. The gates were shut. The gatehouse could be approached :from the outside If a boat was beached and the winding path taken up the hill from :the cove. The gates were wooden, bound with steel, but the wood was :completely rotten and would easily crumble from the bindings - but unless this was :done carefully, the doors and a portion of the gatehouse would collapse, From the :outside a hole could be seen in the wall beneath an arrow slit. This could be :easily reached and was large enough for a person to get through. Inside, on the :ground floor of the gatehouse, was the lair of a pair of moor cats. Their lair :was untidy and full of scattered bones, dung and cat smell. They hunted for a :couple of hours at dawn and dusk every day and would attack anyone in the :gatehouse. The moor cats are about 1' long, a dull mauve in colour and had fluffy :ears and powerful claws. *7. The undergrowth in this area was lusher and greener, as this was the old well. :However, the well held a surprise, for lurking in its depths was a small kraken :that would have been be awakened by anyone trying to draw water or climb down the :inside. The well was 240' deep altogether, the water level being 180" below the :level of the courtyard. It was just 6' wide. *8. The Keep. The keep was a pentagonal structure about 50'x 50', The walls were 4-:5' thick and so well built that they had survived perfectly, like the main wall :surrounding the courtyard. The sea wall had protected the cliffs below the keep :from erosion. The keep had 4 floors. The ground, first and second floors all had :safe stone floors but the top floor was of old wood which was now completely unsafe :and would not bear a person's weight. When it was deserted, most of the furnishings :were removed from the keep apart from odd chairs and tables (now ready to :disintegrate at a touch). On the ground floor were a few chests containing mouldy :old cloth, etc. If these were moved, a well-preserved wooden trapdoor could be :found, with an inset bolt on the uppermost side. The bolt could be easily drawn and :the door opened (though this would have made quite a noise) to reveal stairs going :down to the dungeons. The stairs went down some 50' then ended in a short corridor :with three doors.the doors were locked, and the locks rusted, making them Hard to :pick. The left-hand room was empty save for a wooden pallet and a dry well. The :right-hand room contained the remains of a prisoner left by the departing :commander. :The skeleton would jump up and attack anyone in the dungeon area ; it :was a minor Wight. In the room at the end of the corridor were two securely :locked and airtight chests. One contained books and a small jewellery box :with an assortment of rings, earrings and brooches, the other a collection :of liqueurs which were now wonderfully mature, tasty and incredibly alcoholic. :All the books were well-preserved and could be read. The books were a large black-:bound one with bronze hasps - the log of a Numenorean ship (the "Inzil") :which had voyaged once to Tol Thúlë, the other books were various texts from :the Second Age that were forgotten by the departing Númenoreans: books of :poetry and song, treatises on peoples, creatures and plants, :manuals of craftsmen, and a history of the Kings of Numenor. None were :related to magic. There was little else in the keep and overall there was not :very much treasure. References *MERP adventure:"Star Spray" by Graham Staplehurst in: White Dwarf #73 Category:Ruin Category:Fortress Category:Tower Category:Tolfalas Category:MERP